Sleeping
by dominoharvey
Summary: Clint awakens to find Natasha still asleep; cute fluffyness ensues. Clintasha one shot.
1. Chapter 1

When Clint woke up in the morning the first thing he did was roll over and check that Natasha was still there. And she was. Her head was turned towards him and he couldn't figure out how she could still look so beautiful at 7 in the morning. Her red curls spilled out over the pillow in waves that trickled down to her shoulders. Her one hand was resting on her stomach and the other was inches from his own. She was at her most peaceful while she slept. Clint was so used to seeing her tense and focused during missions that he didn't think he could get used to her like this. To a Natasha that let her guard down. He could feel himself falling asleep again but he fought against it. It was a rare moment that he was able to study Natasha without her noticing. If he had tried to do so when she was awake she probably would have hit him and told him to focus on something that was actually important. She didn't see that she _was _important, at least she was to him. And that was all that really mattered anyway. He slowly reached out a hand and lightly stroked her cheek. She didn't even stir. Not that he was surprised, the nightmares had kept her up most of the night. If the missions and the violence of their profession didn't kill him then waking up to Natasha screaming would. He knew that she wasn't in danger and that it was all in her head, but in those first few seconds between sleeping and waking his heart hammered in his chest and he turned towards her fearing the worst. It was only once he saw that she was dreaming that he would scramble out of bed and try to wake her. He had been plagued by his own dark dreams so he knew how terrifying and exhausting they could be. But in his nightmares he wasn't the one being harmed, no his mind was much more cruel than that. He had to endure nightmare after nightmare of Natasha being killed, slowly and painfully right in front of him and all he could do was watch. No matter how much he fought or screamed she always ended up dead, staring up at him with green eyes that no longer sparkled. He was usually sick once he finally woke up. He'd managed to hide these dreams from Natasha, for they never bothered him when she was there. And he didn't want to bother her with his nightmares when she had trouble dealing with her own. Clint shifted and slid his hand into hers. He pulled the covers back up and nestled himself closer to her. She always smelled like vanilla, a smell he hadn't cared for previously. But now he went out of his way to buy things that were vanilla scented whenever Natasha was away. He made sure never to bring that up to anybody from Shield. Can't have them thinking the hawk had grown soft. But as he watched her sleep he knew that he hadn't softened or grown weak. If anything Natasha made him stronger, better. She stirred then, and for a split second Clint thought she might wake up. But she only turned so that her body was facing his and snuggled closer. She sighed and smiled in her sleep and Clint smiled back. He hoped that she was having a good dream for once. Though he would have been perfectly happy to stare at her all morning, sleep grabbed hold of him and refused to let go, so he closed his eyes and let his mind drift. He didn't see Natasha open her eyes a few minutes later, glance down at their entangled hands and smile. She kissed him lightly on the cheek and sunk back into her own unconsciousness.


	2. Chapter 2 (Natasha's POV)

Natasha could feel Clint beside her before she opened her eyes. She could hear him snoring softly in his sleep—even though he always argued with her when she said that he snored. She opened her eyes and turned towards him. She couldn't help but smile at the sight of his messy hair, and had to resist the urge to run her fingers through it. It still amazed her how comfortable she was around Clint. Of course, it had taken a while for her to get to this point. But after being with the Red Room for so long, after all that they had done to her, Natasha thought that they had taken away her ability to love as well. She couldn`t have children, couldn`t have the one thing that every woman was supposed to have. And she just didn`t see herself being able to let anyone in. Clint had spared her life, had changed his mind at the last possible second and had taken her in instead of taking her out. It was a debt that she hadn`t thought she`d ever be able to repay. She`d never had a partner before Clint but once they started working together it was as if they had been partners all their lives. She stretched slightly in the bed, careful not to shift the blankets too much. Their hands were still clasped, and Natasha didn't want to move them. They had slept in the same bed on plenty of missions, especially the ones where they had gone undercover as husband and wife. But sleeping together on their own time, well that started later. Nightmares had never been an issue while she was in the Red Room—probably because she had been living in a nightmare—but once she joined Shield they slowly began to trickle into her subconscious. Once the screaming started Clint would rush into her room prepared to fight whatever evil had crept in. Until he realized it was all in her head. At first he would sit by her bed until she calmed down and then he would go back to his own room. One night when the nightmare had been particularly vivid, Clint stroked her hair until she stopped shaking. When he got up to leave she grabbed his hand. She hadn't intended to do it, she just didn't want to be alone anymore. She silently prayed that she wouldn't have to ask him to stay. She didn't think she'd be able to say the words. But after working together for so long, she didn't need to say anything. She shifted to give him room, and he pulled back the covers and lay down beside her. When he was with her the nightmares stayed away for the most part. He spent so much time worrying about her nightmares that he wouldn't talk about his own. She knew he was plagued by his own dark dreams. But he seemed to find peace with her as well and she didn't want to pry. He looked peaceful now though, with his mouth hanging open and his shirt riding up. Natasha wished that he could always look like this. Clint had a past that was just as dark as hers and as much as that brought them together, she also wished that he could have a life that was more peaceful. He deserved that. She glanced at the clock, groaning softly when she saw the time. It would be about an hour before Fury started knocking on the door. He pretended not to know about Natasha and Clint but she figured that seeing them in bed together would put an end to his leniency. An hour was a long time though. Plenty of time. She drew closer to Clint, slightly resting her leg against his. He smiled when she did and she rolled her eyes. Clearly he had been awake for a while. He wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her closer until they were fitted together. Neither of them said anything. But they didn't need to. They never needed words.


End file.
